“It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land. Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have occurred.” - UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity, or anthropogenic emissions, are the fundamental cause of global climate change. According to the IPCC’s latest report, the “combined effects of human activity have already increased the global average temperature by about 1.1°C above the late 19th-century average.” In order to avoid the worst effects of climate change, the Glasgow Pact officially recognized that emissions have to be reduced by at least 45% by 20.
Climate Change
Unsustainable Material Resource System
Our global, single-use material resource system is one of the root causes of environmental degradation. The way humans currently extract, process, produce, consume and dispose of materials and waste must change immediately.
Our global material resource system is predicated on the extraction, production, use, and disposal of single use materials. In fact, less than 9% of materials are reused. This system was workable when material use was relatively low, but material use is growing at an unsustainable rate. During the 20th century, global material use increased from 7 billion to 49 billion tons (“MT”) per year – a seven-fold increase. If current material use patterns persist, material usage will increase to 350 billion MT per year by end of the century1 – once again, a seven-fold increase in material utilization.
The rate of environmental degradation is staggering. In order to avoid the worst impacts of biological degeneration, we have to completely transform the way we view our natural world.
The impacts of human activity are indisputable. Globally, 75% of arable land is “substantially degraded” by at least one form of degradation, such as aridity, vegetation decline, soil salinization and loss of soil carbon. If current rates continue, this number could grow to 95% by 2050. In addition, 66% of ocean ecosystems are damaged, degraded or modified.
The world’s ecosystems are under acute pressure including the loss of approximately 10 million hectares of forest each year, a 600% increase in freshwater usage over the past 100 years, the transformation of 70% of grasslands and 50% of savannahs into agriculture, the loss of 20-30% of mangrove and seagrass ecosystems and a 14% loss in coral reefs in just the last ten years.
Environmental Degradation
Human Health
Climate change is the greatest threat to human health.
The impacts of our material resource system, degradation of natural ecosystems and changes in global temperatures have severely impacted the health of populations around the world. Increasing temperatures have led some to estimate that climate change could displace 1.2 billion people by 2050.
However, the impacts are not limited to just climate change. Globally, air pollution accounts for about seven million premature deaths a year, 700 million people will face severe water shortages by 2030 and approximately 250,000 deaths may occur due to malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress related to environmental degradation.
“It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land. Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have occurred.” - UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity, or anthropogenic emissions, are the fundamental cause of global climate change. According to the IPCC’s latest report, the “combined effects of human activity have already increased the global average temperature by about 1.1°C above the late 19th-century average.” In order to avoid the worst effects of climate change, the Glasgow Pact officially recognized that emissions have to be reduced by at least 45% by 20.
Climate Change
Unsustainable Material Resource System
Our global, single-use material resource system is one of the root causes of environmental degradation. The way humans currently extract, process, produce, consume and dispose of materials and waste must change immediately.
Our global material resource system is predicated on the extraction, production, use, and disposal of single use materials. In fact, less than 9% of materials are reused. This system was workable when material use was relatively low, but material use is growing at an unsustainable rate. During the 20th century, global material use increased from 7 billion to 49 billion tons (“MT”) per year – a seven-fold increase. If current material use patterns persist, material usage will increase to 350 billion MT per year by end of the century1 – once again, a seven-fold increase in material utilization.
The rate of environmental degradation is staggering. In order to avoid the worst impacts of biological degeneration, we have to completely transform the way we view our natural world.
The impacts of human activity are indisputable. Globally, 75% of arable land is “substantially degraded” by at least one form of degradation, such as aridity, vegetation decline, soil salinization and loss of soil carbon. If current rates continue, this number could grow to 95% by 2050. In addition, 66% of ocean ecosystems are damaged, degraded or modified.
The world’s ecosystems are under acute pressure including the loss of approximately 10 million hectares of forest each year, a 600% increase in freshwater usage over the past 100 years, the transformation of 70% of grasslands and 50% of savannahs into agriculture, the loss of 20-30% of mangrove and seagrass ecosystems and a 14% loss in coral reefs in just the last ten years.
Environmental Degradation
Human Health
Climate change is the greatest threat to human health.
The impacts of our material resource system, degradation of natural ecosystems and changes in global temperatures have severely impacted the health of populations around the world. Increasing temperatures have led some to estimate that climate change could displace 1.2 billion people by 2050.
However, the impacts are not limited to just climate change. Globally, air pollution accounts for about seven million premature deaths a year, 700 million people will face severe water shortages by 2030 and approximately 250,000 deaths may occur due to malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress related to environmental degradation.
“It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land. Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have occurred.” - UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity, or anthropogenic emissions, are the fundamental cause of global climate change. According to the IPCC’s latest report, the “combined effects of human activity have already increased the global average temperature by about 1.1°C above the late 19th-century average.” In order to avoid the worst effects of climate change, the Glasgow Pact officially recognized that emissions have to be reduced by at least 45% by 20.
Climate Change
Unsustainable Material Resource System
Our global, single-use material resource system is one of the root causes of environmental degradation. The way humans currently extract, process, produce, consume and dispose of materials and waste must change immediately.
Our global material resource system is predicated on the extraction, production, use, and disposal of single use materials. In fact, less than 9% of materials are reused. This system was workable when material use was relatively low, but material use is growing at an unsustainable rate. During the 20th century, global material use increased from 7 billion to 49 billion tons (“MT”) per year – a seven-fold increase. If current material use patterns persist, material usage will increase to 350 billion MT per year by end of the century1 – once again, a seven-fold increase in material utilization.
The rate of environmental degradation is staggering. In order to avoid the worst impacts of biological degeneration, we have to completely transform the way we view our natural world.
The impacts of human activity are indisputable. Globally, 75% of arable land is “substantially degraded” by at least one form of degradation, such as aridity, vegetation decline, soil salinization and loss of soil carbon. If current rates continue, this number could grow to 95% by 2050. In addition, 66% of ocean ecosystems are damaged, degraded or modified.
The world’s ecosystems are under acute pressure including the loss of approximately 10 million hectares of forest each year, a 600% increase in freshwater usage over the past 100 years, the transformation of 70% of grasslands and 50% of savannahs into agriculture, the loss of 20-30% of mangrove and seagrass ecosystems and a 14% loss in coral reefs in just the last ten years.
Environmental Degradation
Human Health
Climate change is the greatest threat to human health.
The impacts of our material resource system, degradation of natural ecosystems and changes in global temperatures have severely impacted the health of populations around the world. Increasing temperatures have led some to estimate that climate change could displace 1.2 billion people by 2050.
However, the impacts are not limited to just climate change. Globally, air pollution accounts for about seven million premature deaths a year, 700 million people will face severe water shortages by 2030 and approximately 250,000 deaths may occur due to malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress related to environmental degradation.
Ken Hollen
Chief Executive Officer
Ken Hollen is the Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of the Humankind Group. Ken has over 30 years of experience as a CEO, strategic advisor, entrepreneur, executive and board member. He has worked in a variety of industries including the financial services, health services, software and Internet based services, construction technology, renewable energy, advanced aquaculture, algae technology, biotechnology, and telecommunications industries:
Prior to HKG, Ken co-founded and served as CEO of Vega Building Systems from 2016 to 2019 in addition to managing his other business activities. One of the business initiatives Ken led was to secure an MOU with the developer who was awarded the contract to develop the Dhavari Slum site in India, one of the largest slums in the world, to provide the construction technology for the construction of over 30 high rise multi-family residential buildings. Prior to Vega, Ken co-founded and served as Chairman, CEO, and President of Channelpoint. The company provided software and services to approximately 400 insurance and financial services companies, 60,000 insurance brokers, and over 200 insurance market websites. Ken has also served as a strategic advisor, consultant, and Board Member for Eloan, a leading provider of on-line mortgage and other financial services in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Additionally, Ken co-founded an on-line health information services company that eventually merged with WebMD. Ken spent his early career at IBM where he held a series of management positions where he managed cross-functional product groups.
Ken received an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Lehigh University. Ken is the father of four children. He currently resides in Del Mar, California.